Week 002

Stoichiometry
Week 002: Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry in Space Travel

Carbon Dioxide Poisoning
•Humans produce carbon dioxide as a product of
cellular respiration.

•Plants remove carbon dioxide via photosyntheis

•In spacecrafts, chemical means are needed to eliminate

carbon dioxide

•Carbon dioxide is a toxic gas which can cause death Launch of a space shuttle;

when its percentage in air exceeds 8% https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Space_Shuttle_Atlanti

s_launches_from_KSC_on_STS-132_side_view.jpg; 24-Apr-17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

Lithium Hydroxide Canisters

•Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O →C6H12O6 + 6O2

•Lithium Hydroxide Canisters

2LiOH(S) + CO2(g) →Li2CO3(s) + H2O(l)
https://ruknews.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/plant
s.jpg; 24-Apr-17

• Excess Reactant: CO2

• Limiting Reactant: LiOH

•There should be enough LiOH canisters in the spacecraft to prevent

carbon dioxide poisoning.

LiOH canister;
http://www.space1.com/Artifacts/Apollo_Artifacts/L
iOH_Canister/lioh_canister1a_600.jpg; 24-Apr-17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

Apollo 13 Mission
•Apollo 13 spacecraft launched in the year 1970 with three astronauts.

•An explosion happened in the command module so they were forced to

stay in the lunar module
Apollo 13 astronauts;
•Designed for two people only , the lunar module’s LiOH canisters were https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thu
mb/1/17/Apollo_13_Prime_Crew.jpg/800px-
depleting fast Apollo_13_Prime_Crew.jpg; 24-Apr-17

•LiOH canisters left were not the same shape as the round canisters in
the round module

•They were able to rig a system to use the square canisters from the
command module

LiOH canister adapted for the lunar module;

https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a13/AS13-62-
8929HR.jpg; 24-Apr-17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

New Technologies
•International Space Station also uses molecular sieve to
remove carbon dioxide

•Molecular sieves are zeolites with pores that can trap carbon
dioxide

•Future plans involved growing plants to remove carbon

dioxide naturally.
http://www.divermag.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/01/s118e06298.jpg; 24-Apr-
17
Week 002: Stoichiometry

References
http://science.howstuffworks.com/carbon-dioxide-eliminated-aboard-spacecraft.htm

http://www.space.com/17250-apollo-13-facts.html

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo13.html